Comradeship, friendship or more?
by Ice-Ari
Summary: What happens if it is TB's sweet and innocent Subaru who is the one in X1999 (instead of his grimer, older self? How will he interacts with Kamui? (Future KxS, Yaoi, Angst).
1. Prologue

(An important point to note is that the Subaru of this fic is the younger Subaru of TB and not that of X)

Pre-warning: There'll probably be yaoi elements appearing in future chapters. (Probable main-pairing: K/S).

_Words in italics_ Represents character's thoughts

"...." Represents conversations

Standard disclaimers applied: I do not own Kamui, Subaru, Seishiro, Hokuto or any X/TB's characters mentioned in this fic, they all belong to the totally awesome group known as Clamp.

**Comradeship, Friendship or More?**

Prologue

I stared in total disbelief at this quake-ridden area before me, perching at the top of the last but barely standing building, I had a bird-eye view over the whole area.

It was such a piteous sight... I could feel my heart-breaking for the unfortunate people living in this area... an area where they used to call home, had now been flattened out, totally flatten out...

_I'm too late... _

The area was already in a state of total demolition; there would not be any use even if I set up a kekkai now...

_I'm too late... If only... only if I have arrived here earlier... maybe... just maybe... I could have prevented such terrible wreckage from happening..._

"Subaru! Stop blaming yourself for everything!" I could hear my neesan's voice going off in my head with her usual reminder.

_Well, I better stop being so despondent, or else Hokuto-chan will literally strangle me to death for not obeying her advise again._

Scanning through all the rumbles and the crowd of people rushing off to safety, I saw a familiar sight standing in the middle of a pile of fallen concrete... Seishiro-san...

_What is he doing here? Why does he just keep standing there, instead of running off with the crowd? Don't tell me he is hurt ... hope he is not at all hurt... he doesn't look like he is hurt, but still..._

With such worrying thoughts wormed their way through my mind, I could not just remain standing there stuck in my grief, instead I jumped down the building and landed just in front of Seishiro-san.

"Seishiro-san! What're you doing here? Are you alright?"

The figure before me looked up, stared at me with a passing flash of shock, before returning to the usual friendly self.

"Ah! Subaru-kun!"

"Seishiro-san, are...are you alright?"

"Of course, Subaru-kun, I can't be any better!" The person spoke as he reached for the box of cigarettes in his breast pocket. He took out a cigarette, lit it and smoked.

_Smoke? Seishiro-san is a heavy smoker, but he never smoke whenever I'm around..._

"Seishiro-san? Are... are you... quite sure that you're alright?"

Seishiro-san reached out to caress my check gently and eyed me with his one single eye. Just looking at Seishiro-san's mismatched pair of eyes, sent a gushing warmth through me, reminding me of the time when he sacrifice his eye to safe me from the attack of a woman gone mad, due to extreme worry and depression. 

_Seishiro-san is so nice and understanding... He never blames me for causing him to loose an eye._

I could feel a glow of warm creeping up my cheeks...

"Of course, I just say I couldn't be any better, well... unless you are offering to join me in bed tonight, my dearest, Subaru-kun." 

"What?!" I spluttered in shock. Although I knew full well that Seishiro-san seemed to take pleasure in teasing me, well... especially with the aid of Hokuto-chan, but he never fails to shock me out of my wits every single time.

I could feel that my face had turned numerous shades redder...

At this moment, I suddenly sensed Kamui in... in danger!

I turned towards the direction that my senses called me to.

"Ah! Subaru-kun, seems like your Kamui is calling out to you, just as mine!"

"What?!" I turned back and stared at Seishiro-san incomprehensibly.

Seishiro-san grinned back at me, a grin that sent shivers down my spine; it is not Seishiro-san usual grin, but one that expresses demoniacal cruelty!

_Demonical cruelty?! What am I thinking?! I... I must have misinterpreted somehow... after all how can Seishiro-san ever show such a malicious look? How can I ever doubt him..._

"Why, Subaru-kun? Why do you seem so shock?"

"Errr... not...nothing."

"Really?! Or is this the expected reaction for a Sumeragi clan head to have on meeting up with the Sakurazukamori?"

"What... what're you saying?"

"Well... like you're the thirteenth head of the Sumeragi clan and one of the Seven Seals... No! I should phase it as one of the Dragon of Heaven! At the Sumeragi clan, one learns to be the Dragon of Heaven! So, I'm your opposite, your greatest archrival ever, the Sakurazukamori, and a Dragon of Earth! And it seems like I've won our bet, so it's the end of your life, my lovely Subaru-kun! So farewell to you beautiful toy!" 

As Seishiro-san, no... the Sakurazukamori finished his words, he slammed his clenched fist straight towards my chest; aiming for my heart... and I, for my part was just standing there, too stunned by the revelations to do anything in response.

Just at that crucial moment, my senses were once again being drawn towards the direction of Kamui...

And I think Seishiro-san, no... the Sakurazukamori sensed it too, as he appeared to have came to a pause almost suddenly, turning towards the direction of the call.

"I've to go, Subaru-kun, since like my Kamui willed that you will live at least for now. Farewell, my delicious prey, its been really fun toying with you so far. Goodbye, for now," he turned to me and said in a seductive tone, before vanishing off...

I stared at his disappearing form in total bewilderment, unable to react momentarily, until my senses of Kamui pulled me out from my daze.

_Kamui is in extreme danger! Do something quick!I could hear my mind voice calling out to me._

_What?_

_Stop standing there, as if you're rooted to the ground! Forget about Seishiro-san, now! You can always confront him later. Go find Kamui now!_

Suddenly, a powerful wave of senses hit me at full force...

My senses telling me that Kamui was currently under some form of death threat...

_Kamui!!!_

Finally, being cleared of from the haziness of my mind, I leaped off the pile of concrete pieces that I was standing on and rushed off towards the direction of Kamui.

-- Prologue (End) --


	2. Part 1

Warnings: There are spoilers for X.9 in this part.

_Words in italics:_ Inner thoughts

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLIED.

**Comradeship, Friendship or More?**

Part 1

(TB's Subaru's POV)

_How can such a terrible thing happen... How can a brother murder his own sister... How can anyone in the right mind betray his own friend, and even attempted to hurt him so badly... How can any human carry out such a callous act..._

My mind was still reeling in a state of total shock and confusion. I simply could not digest the horrendous fact that I had just been forced to witness... something which I would rather not have known about in my entire existence.

Somehow, this brought back the memory of Seishiro-san's revelations earlier...

_How can this be? How can nice and gentlemanly Seishiro-san be one with the malicious Sakurazukamori! This just... just doesn't make sense..._

Suddenly, a fragment of earlier memory crept through my mind, a memory of an earlier conversation I had with neesan. Hokuto-chan's words, "Sei-san may seem nice, but is he really nice?"...

_Does neesan know something that I don't know about?_

_No! This can't be... Seishiro-san must be joking, right..._

_But... but the way he was acting earlier..._

My head was starting to hurt with all this mind argument, worst still after the totally confusing scenario I had with Seishiro-san, I was next forced to witness the barbarous attack of the Dark Kamui on Kamui.

I really wondered how Kamui would handle this... he so young... approximately my age I would guess, and worst of all, from what I heard from the other Seals, the Dark Kamui was Kamui best friend...

I could feel my tears creeping out from the corner of my eyes, sliding slowly down the smooth surface of my cheek, but I made no attempt to brush away, as I was still too overwhelmed to even think properly now.

As always, the sadness of others had always affected me... and this time too, I could feel myself being dragged down into Kamui's overwhelming pool of sorrow... I feel myself drowning in his sadness... I feel so guilty for not being there for him... for not doing anything to ease his pain...

Luckily for me, Hokuto-chan was not here at the moment, or else my dear neesan would surely have given me a tongue lashing for allowing myself to be suffering in another's grief.

For now, my emotions were beyond control, being overly jeopardised by Kamui's terrible affliction, piling on the earlier shocking revelations of Seishiro-san...

If neesan was here she would surely have killed me for being this sorrowful.

_I must help him! I must!A sudden voice scream through my mind._

_But... but... what can I do? What can I say? I could not even few a thousandth of his sorrow and his pain... What should I do?_Another voice whimpered back in response.

_Just do something! Anything is better than nothing._ The other voice once again tore through my brain like a hurricane.

_Well... but..._

At that moment, the room door slam opened, pulling me out from the depths of my mind. I quickly brushed away my tears and then looked up to see Arisugawa-san appearing out from the bedroom where Kamui lies, with a helpless expression in his eyes.

"How is Kamui?" asked Arashi-chan hesitantly."

Arisugawa-san bent his head down dejectedly, and the replied, "No matter how I called him, there is still no response!" He sighed, before continuing, "But well, this is not beyond expectation, after all he was cruelly forced to witness the one he love most, being killed by another that he love most...Maybe... he may even remain in this catatonic state forever..."

The youngest Seal among us, Yuzuriha-chan, with tears flowing freely from her eyes, queried in an agitated manner, "What'll happen to Kamui, if he doesn't wake up?!"

"Remaining the same forever... Can't see or hear anything, and just remains locked up within himself..." The Kansai monk stared aimlessly into mid-air while replying.

_I must do something... I must get to him... It maybe hard to enter his mind now that he is so close up, but I must try! I've to!_

With this thought, I leave my place by the windowsill, where I had stood silently throughout while trying to straighten out my thoughts, and took big strides heading for the bedroom that Kamui was in.

As I was opening the room's door, Arisugawa-san shouted out to me, "What're you planning to do?!"

I just ignored him and walked on to Kamui's bedside, and reached out to hold his slender hand in mine.

The others not understanding my gestures at all, puzzling entered the room in worry, eyeing my every move.

After staring at Kamui for an audibly long moment, without turning back to face the others, I finally replied, "I want to enter inside Kamui?"

"What? You mean you're planning to enter within his mind?" Arashi-chan asked.

"But that too dangerous, as he is now in a catatonic state!" A college boy with an arm in sling, I presumed to be Saiki-san, continued.

I tilted my head sideways to face them, but still not saying anything, as I was too busy trying my best to smooth out the emotional turmoil within myself, so that I would have a calmer mind to carry out this task at hand.

Arisugawa-san, who had been silent since he entered the room, finally spoke up, "You're planning to use some secret skill of the Sumeragi-clan?"

"Sumeragi-clan?!" The boy whom I assumed to be Saiki-san, well... I wasn't really sure who he was, for I was to distract just now to really pay full attention to all the various introductions, looked up in shock and mumbled aloud.

I ignored all of them once again, putting in my fullest effort on the task at hand. I took in a deep breath. Calmed don my agitated state of mind as best as I could, before chanting...

I could feel my consciousness being slowly dragged out of my own physical shell and plunged into the depths of Kamui...

-- End of Part 1--

C&C is much welcomed.


	3. Part 2

Hello, I'm really sorry that I took so long off before writing this. I've been caught up with lots of other things in life these days (since I've just graduated and returned to my home country in December, and am no longer studying overseas, thus well, there are just lots of other responsibilities… family, friends, finding job, unpacking my stuffs etc.) Furthermore, to make matter worst… I'm highly prone to laziness and procrastination…

**Touya's angel**, **Crimson mist**, **Tatortot** and **Kyou**: Thank you very much for all your encouraging and motivating reviews. I really do appreciate and need them to force me out of my procrastination to write this next part. I hope that you all will enjoy reading this part.

STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLIED: I do not own any of the X/TB's characters mentioned in this fic. They all belong to Clamp.

Warnings: There are spoilers for X.9 in this part.

_Words in italics_ Represents character's thoughts

"...." Represents conversations

**

* * *

**

**COMRADESHIP, FRIENDSHIP OR MORE**?

Part 2 

(TB's Subaru's POV)

As I felt my spirit left its husk of a body and descended into the unknown of Kamui's mind, I continued to chant the special spell of my clan…

However, when my consciousness was nearing the innermost core of Kamui's mind, my concentration was utterly shattered out by the sudden attack of a large and ferocious dragon… the guardian of Kamui's soul.

_My entrance is being rejected!_

I tried my best to fend off the incoming attacks of the dragon without casting forth any damage of my own, for I didn't dare risk it… I didn't dared risk injuring Kamui…

_Kamui has been hurt enough, I don't want to cause him anymore harm. But… but what can I do? The inner state of a human is highly fragile… what should I do? If I forced my way in, I may unwittingly cause damage to Kamui's soul…_

Just as I was feeling immensely worried and extremely lost about what the next best and most appropriate step of action should be, the protector dragon had unexpectedly vanished into swirls of water. And when the scene had cleared, I saw in front of me… Kamui…

He was wrapped within the tight embrace of the Dark Kamui, and standing along side them was a sweet-looking girl around my age… she was the girl… the innocent girl whom was callously sacrificed by the dark Kamui, her brother, during the awakening of Kamui and the Dark Kamui…

_What… what is this about?_

At that very moment, the Dark Kamui reached forth to cup Kamui's slender hand in his larger ones, brought it to his mouth and kissed it… a seemingly harmless and tender gesture, however, his eyes… the eyes of the Dark Kamui were pure ice…and Kamui too, like me, must have noticed this, for his beautiful orbs widen in shock and confusion, and in a soft and wavering voice, he questioned, "Fu…Fuuma?"

_Fuuma? No, he is not Fuuma, but the Dark Kamui… the cold aura he gave out firmly indicated that.. Although physically he may still appear the same, he is no longer the close friend and almost-brother of Kamui..._

The Dark Kamui caressed Kamui's face and replied in a tone as cold and alienating as his eyes, "You have chosen the destiny to be a Dragon of Heaven, one of the Seven Seals, Kamui." He paused for a brief moment to place a quick peck on the tips of Kamui's fingers and then added, "Since you have chosen the Dragon of Heaven's future, I'm therefore destined to become the Dragon of Earth!"

And just as abruptly as the disappearance of the dragon guard, a new scene appeared… a highly gruesome one...with two Kamui-look-alikes. The one that represented the Kamui of the Dragon of Heaven was trying in vain to protect the girl, who he addressed as Kotori. On the other hand, the other Kamui, the one who is the Dragon of Earth chosed to pierce his shinken right through her heart…

Even though, I knew that these images in front of me were nothing more than fabrications of Kamui's mind, I was still greatly stunned and sadden at this very sight presented right before my very eyes…

"Kamui!" I called out to Kamui, wishing with my whole heart that I could reach him and to help him. Nevertheless, once again, the scene changes into swirling water, and when the water became calm, I could see three young children playing together merrily, with big and wide smiles plastered on all their three faces… They are the children versions of Kamui, Fuuma and Kotori…

_They look to be so innocent and full of joy … Why must Destiny and Fate be so cruel as to destroy this happiness… I want to help him, but how should I go about it? I'm even having such difficulty reaching him… If I tried to enter deeper into him, his mind may shatter by my intrusion… What should I do?"_

Suddenly, a crack appeared across the face of the child-Fuuma, and as the child-Kamui reached forth in concern and puzzlement to touch the face of his friend, I shouted out, "Stop seeing, Kamui!"

Nevertheless, I was too late… a grown-up version of Fuuma had appeared and he had slashed the child-version of his own self into two halves, and right following that he had pierced his shinken into the doll-like body of the child-Kotori… killing her in one stroke…

"No… no…. I… I don't want…," the child-Kamui closed his eyes, cupped his ears, huddled close to the ground and in a shaking voice mumbled, "Kotori… Fuuma…"

Witnessing this piteous sight…. was most terrible… I could feel my heart breaking along side his…

_Stay focus, Subaru…You've to. You are the only one that is currently in the best position to help him... Stay focus and calm yourself down now._

I closed my eyes and soothed my empathetic feeling of pain somewhat first, before I approached the child-Kamui. I kneeled in front of him, and gently called out his name, "Kamui?"

However, he continued to cry and ignored my presence, thus I was forced to catch his tiny wrists in my hands and yelled out his name, "Kamui!" And finally, I had successfully managed to startle him out from his grief-induced reverie.

He looked at me in total bewilderment and asked, "Who are you?"

"Even if I say my name you probably still wouldn't know me… But, well, I am Sumeragi Subaru," I replied with a a slightly sheepish smile.

"Huh?" The child-Kamui looked confused at me for a moment and then said, "Your clothes are… very… colourful… and different."

In amusement at his childish words, I smiled, and then answered, "Hokuto-chan, my neesan, enjoys dressing me up in clothing that she herself had designed, and let's just say that her taste is somewhat… unconventional… or well, just plain strange… just don't tell her that I said that, 'kay?"

"Okay. But, why are you here? I don't remember knowing you?"

"Err… well… how to say this…" I paused for a while in an attempt to collect my thoughts, so that I would be able to phase my words and explain this situation in a manner that a child-age Kamui could comprehend. I have never been very good at conversing with people… and that is one of the many reasons why I have always prefer and yearn for the companies of animals rather than humans.

_If only Hokuto-chan is here, she is always so friendly, outgoing and good with words…_

"You're currently stuck within your own mind, Kamui."

"My mind?"

"Yes, because something very bad and depressing happened, therefore you had chosen to reject reality, so as to escape from making decisions about the future. You're trying to escape from the real world."

"But... but, I don't want Kotori and Fuuma to be dead. Please, please don't let them be killed…" the child-Kamui, started crying again as he pled for my help…

_I wish that I can save them too…but I can't. I do wish that things are different… but they are not. I'm sorry, Kamui…_

"Kamui, listen to me! I'm not you, so it is not possible for me to completely understand your anguish, but what I do know is that Arisugawa-san, Arashi-chan, Yuzuriha-chan, I and all the others are all worried about you. It is true that although the past couldn't be changed, and no matter how hard we try, time once lost, can be never turn back. However, the future is something different. The future is pliable and it is still within your control, hence you do have a choice. Would you prefer to remain within your mind and endlessly blame yourself or would you choose to return to consciousness, so as to able to be there to create a future of your wish?"

On hearing my words, the little boy version of Kamui had vanished and when he had remerged, he was once again his real sixteen years old self…

He looked down sadly and voiced aloud his deepest regret and greatest wish, "I want to find back Fuuma! That person is not Fuuma! Although I can't protect Kotori, I want to be able to at least protect Fuuma. I want to find back the real Fuuma…"

I pulled him in a loose hug, before saying, "Kamui, your future is in your own hands, so to fulfil your wish, please do come back!"

With tears cascading down his face, he caught my eyes, and acknowledged my request, "Hn."

When I returned to consciousness and opened my eyes, the very first thing I did was to look at Kamui, gently touched the side of his face in much concern and greeted, "Ah, you're awaken… Good morning!"

He returned my glance and hold my eyes with his own, and in a quiet voice, he mumbled, "Sumeragi Subaru…" In reply, I graced him with a somewhat shy but warm and genuine smile.

However, very soon my weariness took over, and I could feel myself falling atop Kamui… falling straight into his open arms…

Just as I was losing myself to unconsciousness, I could feel the arms of Kamui closed around my body and I was pulled closer to him. And at the point right when darkness took over, a soft whispered of "thank you" flow through my ears…

-- End of Part 2 --

Thank you for reading. Please do review.


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